By Azadeh moaveniFor having the confidence to sketch an ambitious future in a gloo my hour, and for showing the competence that makes Americans hope ful he might pull it off, the President-elect is TIME's Person of the Year.

By KAREN TUMULTYIn many ways, the real beginning of the Obama Administration will not be on January 20, but rather, on Tuesday, when the new Congr ess shows up to begin work on his program. Except that may not be what gets everyone's attention that day.